Oxfam America rapid deployment team register - Humanitarian livelihoods team leader

Background

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Its activities encompass humanitarian response, development work, and campaigning to change the global policies and practices that keep people in poverty.

Primary responsibilities

-To provide leadership for the identification, design, and implementation of livelihoods work with local NGO partners and at community level, and for ensuring that relevant technical input feeds into decision-making. Tasks may include performing livelihoods analysis and assessments, developing grant proposals and budgets; providing training and capacity building; and supporting the provision of goods and services.
- Actively provide guidance for technical specialists to aid in the response and ensure community involvement in programming, based on the technical specialist’s area of expertise and in conjunction with partner agencies and the home office.
- Make recommendations for Oxfam responses in the short, medium, and long term that are aligned with Oxfam’s approach to humanitarian disasters.
- Provide information on livelihoods responses and issues to feed into Oxfam policy and communications work; support timely reporting to donors.
- Build and/or strengthen the capacity of local staff and partners in approach and response systems, procedures and protocols, and technical knowledge.
- Ensure that program activities related to humanitarian livelihoods programming are appropriate and effective. Put in place systems to ensure that these activities are properly monitored and measured, and adjusted when needed in accordance with feedback from all stakeholders. Participate in Oxfam International Real Time Evaluations (RTEs) if and when needed.
- Work in close collaboration with other team members to ensure cohesive work that addresses needs and leads to a comprehensive response.
- Maintain links and coordinate with other agencies and experts in the field responding to the emergency.
- Ensure that programming is implemented in a consultative, participatory, and gender-sensitive manner.
- Ensure that risk reduction is integrated into livelihoods responses as appropriate.
- Ensure that projects promote gender equity, protection, HIV/AIDS, and other cross-cutting issues as appropriate.
- Ensure that minimum standards in financial management are met to ensure accountability and transparency.
- Manage and oversee the team in assessments and administration needs related to humanitarian livelihoods programming and logistics, as needed.
- Provide initial co-leadership of a combined WASH and livelihoods rapid deployment team in some circumstances.

Qualifications

Required:

Education:
- A bachelor’s degree in fields related to food security, nutrition, agriculture, veterinary science, humanitarian response and/or other relevant areas of study.

Experience and core competencies:
- First-hand knowledge of humanitarian livelihoods and emergency food security interventions, including cash- transfer projects, food-based responses, market-based interventions, agriculture and livestock programs, and other methods of livelihood support in emergencies.
- Experience in core areas of relevant competency including conducting rapid and in-depth analysis and assessment of food security, livelihoods, and markets in emergency situations, and effectively communicating findings and recommendations.
- 3 - 5 years of practical field experience in managing emergency livelihoods and food security programs in multiple developing countries.
- Strong management skills including personnel management and program management, including at least three years of program management experience and supervision of personnel.
- Experience in working closely with local NGOs and communities to develop interventions.
- Knowledge of disaster risk reduction programming, including Participatory Capacity and Vulnerability Assessment (PCVA), and in gender analysis.
- Experience and ability to work in insecure environments and under pressure.
- Proven analytical and planning skills and the ability to think strategically.
- Excellent oral and written reporting skills; highly developed organizational skills.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.
- Experience in budgeting and budget monitoring.
- Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills.
- The ability to travel at short notice and work in difficult circumstances.
- Familiarity and compliance with the NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct, the People in Aid Code, and other regulatory codes/protocols (e.g. Sphere Minimum Standards and InterAction Field Co-operation Protocol).
- Sympathy with the aims and objectives of Oxfam.
- Commitment to humanitarian principles and action.
- Good written and spoken English essential. Fluency in a second language may be required for some deployments.

Preferred:

- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Spanish, French, Portuguese and/or Arabic language skills are highly desirable.
- Familiarity with Oxfam International procedures.